Calendar Ripon

Dr Tony Cooper, from the British Geological Survey, has been telling Christine Talbot what caused a sinkhole in Ripon which is threatening to engulf a house:

A house has partially collapsed after a large sinkhole opened up in Ripon last night. Fire fighters had to evacuate three houses.

Gregg Easteal was there this lunchtime.

Right next to where sinkhole appeared in Ripon, a planning application notice is hanging up for 75 homes.

A neighbour of the property on the verge of collapse has said she is shocked even though she knew about the gypsum problem.

A councillor said he has spoken to the family living in the house on the verge of collapse and that they were "very distressed".

Local residents said there was a long-standing problem with gypsum-related subsidence in the area which had caused other homes to collapse over the years.

The British Geological Survey has said that the most susceptible area in the UK for sinkholes is the Permian gypsum deposits of north-east England, particularly around Ripon.

A sinkhole has opened up under a detached house, leaving part of the structure close to collapse and people living nearby worried about the future of their properties.

The 25ft (7.6m) wide hole opened up beneath the 100-year-old building in Magdalen's Close in Ripon, North Yorkshire.

Firefighters rescued a dog from the property before the whole area was sealed off.

Police are now warning locals that the house damaged by a sinkhole in Ripon, North Yorkshire, is close to collapsing.

More: Homes evacuated over sinkhole collapse fears

Correspondent Gregg Easteal is at the scene in Ripon where a sinkhole has appeared and collapsed part of a building. Follow Gregg on Twitter: @GreggEastealITV

Three houses had to be evacuated amid fears they could collapse after a huge 25 ft wide sinkhole opened up in a street.

Police cleared the properties on Magdalen's Close in Ripon, North Yorkshire, at 5.40pm after receiving reports the huge sinkhole had appeared.

Officers carried out house-to-house checks in the area to warn people close to the affected properties.

Police, fire crews and the ambulance service remained at the scene with utility services' engineers and structural engineers who were assisting with the incident.

A North Yorkshire police spokesman said: "The affected property and two houses nearby have been evacuated and a cordon has been put in place to protect members of the public. At this stage no injuries have been reported."

North Yorkshire fire and rescue service said that a fire engine and a heavy rescue unit from Ripon were at the scene, where cracks had appeared in the ground, damaging to a building.

A spokeswoman said: "There are no occupiers in the property and a dog has been successfully rescued. Residents from adjacent properties have been evacuated as a precaution.

"The crews have cordoned off the area and are awaiting the arrival of specialist engineers."

The spokeswoman said the sinkhole was about 25 feet wide.

The British Geological Survey has said that the most susceptible area in the UK for sinkholes is the Permian gypsum deposits of north-east England, particularly around Ripon.

It says large sinkholes have developed around Ripon, some of which have affected property and infrastructure. This is because gypsum is far more soluble than limestone, and thus dissolves more rapidly.